Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Hated the Name Vince McMahon Gave Him at the Start of His WWE Career

Published 08/06/2021, 4:01 PM EDT

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most well-known wrestlers in the world. His popularity has transcended wrestling and seeped into the world of acting as well. Now the entire world knows his name. But since when is The Rock? Apparently, WWE’s CEO Vince McMahon had something to do with it.

In a recent interview with “WIRED“, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt answered the web’s most searched question about them. One question was how he got the nickname, “The Rock”. Replying to the question, he revealed,

Article continues below this ad

“The birth story of “The Rock” is, before I do what I do now, many moons ago, I used to throw around 300 pound men for a living, and get my a** kicked. And then my original wrestling name was “Rocky Maivia”, which was a combination of my dad’s first name and my grandfather’s last name, because both of them were pro-wrestlers.

“So my name became, ‘Rocky Maivia’, and when it was first pitched to me from Vince McMahon, he said, ‘I got your name and I want it to be ‘Rocky Maivia. Now, what do you think?’ And as we, he knows me now, and it’s how I speak. I said, ‘I hate it. I hate it.’ And I hated the name.”

Could you imagine Dwayne Johnson not being called “The Rock“? It is weird to even think about it.

Watch This Story – Brock Lesnar, Triple H and More: Greatest Rivals of WWE Legend The Undertaker

From Rocky Maivia to The Rock

Article continues below this ad

Dwayne stated when he became a bad guy in WWE, his name became The Rock. He revealed that Pat Patterson, his father figure and mentor in pro wrestling, gave him the name. Pat suggested the name and Dwayne loved it!

And from that point on, Rocky Maivia became the ‘Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment’ under the moniker of The Rock. His legacy in the world of wrestling is one of the best. A future Hall of Famer and WWE legend with no doubt.

Article continues below this ad

Vince McMahon Was Furious With WWE Referee for Botched Ronda Rousey Pinfall at WrestleMania 35

What are your thoughts? Comment down below and let us know!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Aditya Pran Mahanta is a WWE and AEW author for EssentiallySports, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree. Being a sports fanatic, he has played at the state level badminton in his younger years but his love for WWE overtook all other passions. Being a decade-long wrestling fan, he relishes the older wrestlers and wishes that the newer generation had the same Edge. He is a passionate fan of Rey Mysterio for his high flying style, Edge for being The Ultimate Opportunist, and Razor Ramon because nobody messes with the Bad Guy!

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Hated the Name Vince McMahon Gave Him at the Start of His WWE Career

From Rocky Maivia to The Rock

Trending

“See It on Camera”: Cody Rhodes Reveals Roman Reigns’ Unscripted Three-Word Line During WrestleMania Match

“Stands For”: Major Hint of Tama Tonga’s MFT Nickname Spotted Online After Solo Sikoa’s Announcement

Bo Dallas’ Uncle Howdy & Matt Hardy’s Return Date Seemingly Finalised After Bray Wyatt Connection Emerges

What Does Smackdown QR Code Scan Amid Bo Dallas’ Uncle Howdy Return Rumors?

“Yuck”: New WWE Tag Team Titles’ Design Allegedly Leaked & Draws Flak Days After Triple H Crowns Miz & R Truth New World Tag Champs